I love the Fall and all the festive Fall treats. Pumpkin pie is probably one of my all time favorites! Actually, anything pumpkin is great in my book. Recently a friend from work introduced me to a delicious Mexican pastry called a pumpkin empanada. It’s basically pumpkin pie filling inside a pastry in the shape of an empanada. The difference is it’s not as sweet, but oh so perfect to taste. Well, being the raw food adventurer I am, I decided to create my own raw version of the empanada with a twist. The twist being that I made my own pumpkin pulp instead of using raw pumpkin. I find raw pumpkin hard on my stomach. I also find that using alternatives to pumpkin just isn’t the same. And truthfully, I don’t feel that combining a little “cooked” pumpkin pulp is going to hurt. I don’t feel that the pulp was over-cooked, so a lot of the nutrients are still there.
After making the empanadas – which were a big hit by the way, I used the leftover filling mix to make pumpkin ice cream.
I really think you will enjoy this recipe. Here it is:
Pastry.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut flour
2 cups Super Sprouted flour
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup raw honey (lightly melted)
¼ cup raw agave nectar
1 cup soaked dates w/water (1/4 -1/3 cup date water)
1 ½ tsp pumpkin spice
dash pink Himalayan salt
1 cup water (+/-)
Preparation:
Add soaked dates with water to a high-speed blender and mix well until a gooey paste is formed. Remove and set aside. Mix coconut and sprouted flour, as well as the spices and salt, in a large mixing bowl. Add flax seed and coconut oil and mix well. Add date paste, melted honey, and agave and mix well. Add water as needed to form a dough ball. Roll out dough and cut-out medium to large circles (the size of a large cookie). Make enough to either sandwich the filling, or fold over the filling. Keep in mind, it’s easier to sandwich the filling then fold over.
Tip: Suggest freezing rolled dough until filling is made.
Pumpkin Filling.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups raw cashews
½ cups raw hazelnuts
1 ½ – 2 cups purified water
1 ½ – 2 cups pumpkin puree* (fresh – not canned)
3 tsp or more pumpkin spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Grade B maple syrup
6 drops English Toffee flavored SweetLeaf Stevia
3 T raw honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T coconut oil
Preparation:
Combine nuts and water into a high-speed blender and mix on high until smooth, add remaining ingredients one at a time while blending, except for the coconut oil. Blend on high until mixture is thick and creamy. Add coconut oil and blend again.
Assembly:
Place a heaping dollop of the filling into the center of the dough cut-outs if using the sandwich technique; or, place dollop to once side, leaving space near the edges if folding the dough over. Carefully sandwich or fold over dough, making sure not to press down on the filling. Press around the edges securing the dough. Score with a fork around the edges.
Suggested Serving:
Place in dehydrator for 4-6 hours flipping over half way. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature. When dehydrated the empanadas well store longer.
Instead of dehydrating, try freezing or refrigerating the finished empanadas to set, then serve.
Use remaining pumpkin filling to make pumpkin ice cream. Place remaining pumpkin filling into a container and mix well. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, occasionally stirring the mixture. The ice cream should be creamy and easy to serve. Enjoy!
*Pumpkin Puree.
Ingredients:
1-2 fresh pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins
Preparation:
Slice pumpkins in half. Place open side of halves down on a cookie sheet or baking dish, add a little water to the bottom to create steam. Place in an oven at 350 degrees F. Let pumpkin bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven and cool. Scrape out seeds (wash and add to dehydrator for a delicious, nutty treat). Scoop out pumpkin and place in high-speed blender. Mix on high until smooth and pulpy. Pumpkin pulp is ready to use.
Vega-Riffic Recipes 